Spicy Cheeseburger Nachos

 From: Pillsbury Annual Recipe Cookbook 2007

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 boxes (16 oz each) Mexican prepared cheese product with jalapeno peppers, cut into cubes
• 2 cans (10 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• tortilla chips

Verdict:

Thumbs up! Super easy, very tasty!

What I did differently or what I would do next time:

I don't measure garlic, so let's just get that out of the way. I measure garlic with my heart.

I realized as I'm typing this up that I purchased the green onions and then I didn't use the green onions. Hah!

This was such a great recipe. I know versions of this have been floating around for years and years. This was really easy and it tasted delicious. I would definitely make it again.

Super Speedy Chili

 From: Pillsbury Annual Recipes Cookbook 2007

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes, undrained, cut up
• 1 can (15 oz) spicy chili beans, undrained
• 3 tsp chili powder
• shredded cheddar cheese, if desired

In 3-quart saucepan or 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top individual servings with cheese.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! SUPER fast, SUPER convenient!

What I did differently or what I would do next time:

I used a pound of ground beef because, why not? I used 1 can of tomatoes because I wanted more meat than anything else. I probably could have used more chili powder because I like a really spicy chili, but this had a nice little kick to it.

When I tell you that this was not like my mama's chili, but it was a pretty darn good stand-in... for the amount of time this took and for it to have the great flavor it had, I'm impressed. I really wasn't expecting much considering the lack of time this took and lack of ingredients it contains. This was perfect for the chili craving I was having. I would definitely make this again.

Flaky Ham and Turkey Sandwich Slices

 From: Pillsbury Annual Cookbook 2007

Ingredients:

• 1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 lb sliced cooked turkey
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 small plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb sliced cooked ham

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove pie crusts from pouches; place crusts flat on work surface (after they've been softened). Brush each crust with 1 tsp mustard to within 1/2 inch of edge.

Layer turkey, cheese, tomato slices and ham in 4 1/2-inch-wide strip down center of each crust to within 1 inch of top and bottom of edges. Fold top and bottom edges up onto filling. Bring both sides up over filling, meeting in center; press crust edges together forming 1/2-inch-high seam to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Cut 3 or 4 slits in the top crust of each to allow steam to escape.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Cut each roll into 8 slices; serve warm.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! I love a hot sandwich, so this had a great flavor combo and hit the spot.

What I did differently or would do differently the next time:

Honestly, I would love this with a croissant crust instead if I did this again. Also, reading is vital. I did NOT soften my pie crusts and the first one I cooked broke all to pieces because of this! Hah! Definitely let the pie crust soften so it is more pliable when you are layering.

Also, for some reason, my brain could not comprehend these directions. Let me give it to you in layman's terms: lay out your pie crust. Slather it with a little mustard. In the middle, lay down some turkey, then cheese on top, then tomatoes on top, then ham on top. Then fold the top and bottom inwards, and then pull over the left and right sides into the middle like a burrito. Boom.

I also love that you can easily vary the ingredients. The next day, I had one pie crust left, so I made another one with avocado mayo, and I added onions. Chefs kiss!

Alfredo Chicken Pasta Toss

 From: Pillsbury Annual Recipes Cookbook 2007

Ingredients:

• 4 cups uncooked rotini, penne, or farfalle pasta
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 cup chicken breasts, cut into thin bite-size pieces
• 1 jar (16 oz) alfredo pasta sauce
• 2 tsp dried basil leaves

In a Dutch oven, cook and drain pasta as directed on package, adding peas and carrots during last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain; return to Dutch oven.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken, cook 9-11 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Stir chicken, alfredo sauce, and basil into pasta mixture in Dutch oven. Cook and stir over medium heat until thoroughly heated.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! This was much more of a "shortcut" version of alfredo from what I normally make. In my opinion it wasn't as good as the homemade cream sauce I usually would make, but it was fast and simple, and that counts for something! My whole family liked it, so I could easily throw this into the rotation of meal planning.

Cranberry-Turkey Quesadillas

 From: Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2007 cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 package burrito tortillas
• 3 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese (12 oz)
• 6 oz smoked cooked turkey, chopped
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 400 degrees. On ungreased large cookie sheet, place 4 of the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over each tortilla. Top each evenly with turkey and cranberries. Sprinkle 1/4 cup remaining cheese over each. Top with remaining tortillas.

In small bowl, milk melted butter and parsley. Brush butter mixture over tops of filled tortillas. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges begin to turn light golden brown. Cut into wedges; serve warm.

Verdict: Thumbs up! Oh man... these were so tasty! What a great combination of flavors! What I did differently: Well, as I was typing this recipe up, I realized I never brushed the tops with the butter and parsley mixture! Hah! I'm sure that would have been good, but these were great anyway. I also made some of them with mozzarella cheese in case the Bible study girls didn't care for spicy foods.

Ranch Roll-Up Snacks

 From: Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2007 cookbook

Ingredients:

• 3oz cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz ranch sour cream
• 1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 4 slices precooked bacon, chopped
• 5 burrito tortillas

In small bowl with electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Beat in dip until well blended. Stir in broccoli, carrot, onion and bacon.

Spread mixture evenly onto each tortilla to edges. Roll up each; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours before serving

To serve, cut each roll into 8 pieces.

Verdict: Thumbs up! Easy to make and these were so yummy to snack on!

What I did differently and what I would do in the future: I couldn't find ranch sour cream, so I bought sour cream and mixed in a packet of ranch dip mix. I would use less onion next time. I love onion but it was a little overwhelming at times with the slices being so small. I did find that the mixture was a little thin at first, so I added more broccoli and carrot until it thickened up some. 

Southwestern Layered Dip

 From: Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2007 cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 16oz can vegetarian refried beans
• 4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 11oz mexican corn in a can with red and green peppers, drained
• 8oz sour cream
• 1 1-oz package taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup shredded taco cheese
• tortilla chips

In the bottom of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, spread refried beans. Sprinkle three tablespoons of the cilantro over beans. Spoon corn evenly over cilantro. In a small bowl mix sour cream and taco seasoning mix. Spread over corn. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining one tablespoon cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

Verdict: Thumbs up! I have bought similar dips at the store that I liked, and this was super easy to put together! The biggest flaw is that it did not taste very good leftover for some reason!

What I did differently: I left out the cilantro because I was making it for Bible study and I knew there would be people who don't like cilantro.